The Hunger (1983)

Tony Scott’s directorial debut is largely forgotten under Top Gun’s looming shadow, but it’s an atmospheric doozy. About a vampire (Catherine Deneuve) who forsakes her rapidly decrepit consort (David Bowie) for the nubile neck of a New York physician (Susan Sarandon), the film’s best claim to fame is a slinky seduction and sex scene between Deneuve and Sarandon. Critics carped that the movie was all style with little substance, a persistent complaint that followed Scott throughout his career. But there is no denying that the film’s vivid, bloody panache established Scott’s voice as a filmmaker from the start. —Adam B. Vary